title: Circulating microRNAs have a sex-specific association with metabolic syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The microRNAs let-7 g and miR-221 have been demonstrated to be related to the glucose metabolism. This study assessed the serum levels of these two microRNAs in subjects with and without metabolic syndrome (MetS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum microRNA levels were detected in 102 subjects aged 40 to 80 years who were recruited from the general population. The status of MetS was defined by the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria modified for Asians. Subjects with histories of cardiovascular diseases or who were receiving treatment with hypoglycemic or lipid-lowering agents were excluded. The levels of both circulating microRNAs (let-7 g and miR-221) were higher in subjects with MetS (p = 0.004 and p = 0.01, respectively). The sex-specific analysis showed that the difference was more prominent in women (for both miRNAs, p < 0.05 in women and p > 0.1 in men). In the female subjects, increased expression of both microRNAs was associated with an increased number of MetS risk components (p = 0.002 for let-7 g and p = 0.022 for miR-221). Moreover, the elevation of serum let-7 g was significantly associated with a low level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p = 0.022) and high blood pressure (p = 0.023). In contrast, the miR-221 level was not associated with any individual MetS risk component.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The circulating levels of let-7 g and miR-221 displayed a female-specific elevation in individuals with metabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genome Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan. hjuo@kmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Yu-Ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Pei-Chien
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Yi-Chu
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Chung-Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Suh-Hang Hank
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Juo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; C525709:MIR221, human; C487931:mirnlet7 microRNA, human